Checking and Filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 183 Typical layout for containers and e ngine oil fille r cap
(D Jump start point(-) with hex head Engine oil
screw . .. .... .... .... ..... .. . 214, 253
@ Jump start po int( +) under a cover 214 ,253
@ Brake fluid reservoir (0:) . . . . . . . 211
@ Eng ine oil filler cap(~) . . . . . . . 207
® Coolant expans ion tank (- L) . . . . . 209
® Windshield/headlight washer con-
tainer
(W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment, always read and heed all WARN
INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 203.
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci
fications.
The service interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
t ime for an o il change. We recommend that you
have your oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv-
ice Adv isor.
If you have to top off the oi l between oil changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
table.
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine VW S04 00
205
Check ing and F illing
Using the proper engine oil is impo rtant for the
functionality and service life of the engine. Your engine was facto ry-filled with a h igh-quality oi l
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
@) Note
Your Limited New Vehicle War ranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warran ty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil t hat ex-
p ressly complies with the Audi oil qua lity
standard specified for your vehicle's engine .
Using a ny o ther oil can cause serious engine
d am age.
- D o not mix any lubricants o r other addit ives
i nto the engine oil. Doing so ca n cause en
g ine damage.
(D Tips
I f you need to add oil and there is none availa
ble t hat meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requi res , you m ay ad d a tot al of
no more than 0.5 qu art /li ter o f a h igh-quality
"synthe tic"oil that meets t he following speci
fications.
- AC EA A3 o r API SM wi th a viscosity grade o f
SAE 0W-30, SAE SW-30 or SAE SW-40.
- F or more inform ation about engine o il that
has been approve d for your ve hicl e, please
contact eithe r you r a uthorized Audi dea le r
or A udi C ustome r Relat ions at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit o ur web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.aud icanada.ca.
Engine oil consumption
T he engine in your vehicle depends on an ade
quate amoun t of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving par ts.
In order to p rovide effective lubr ication and cool
ing of internal engine components, all interna l
combustion engines consume a cer tain amount
of oil. Oi l co nsumption varies from engine to en
g ine and may change significant ly over the life of
the eng ine . Typically, eng ines with a specified
206
b reak -in period (see q page 188) consume more
oi l during the break-in period than they consume
after o il consumption has stab ilized.
U nder normal cond itions, the ra te of oil con
s u mption depends on the q ua lity and viscos ity o f
the oil , the RPM (revo lutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient tem
perature and road condit ions. Further facto rs a re
the amount of o il di lution from wate r condensa
tion or fue l resid ue a nd the oxidation level of the
o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the o il consumption may increase ove r
ti me until replacement o f wo rn components may
become ne cessary.
With a ll these va riables coming into p lay, no
standard rate of o il consumption can be estab
li sh ed or spec ified . T he re is no alte rnative to reg
u lar and freq uen t che cki ng of the oil level , see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbo l in
the instr ument cluster
II lights up, yo u should
c h eck t he o il level as soon as poss ible
q page 207 . Top off the o il at your earlies t con
venience
q page 207.
_& WARNING
Before you check a nyt hing in the en gine com
partment, always read and heed all WARN
INGS
9 .&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 203.
((I) Note
D riving w it h an insuffic ient oil level is li ke ly to
cause severe damage to the engine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warning d isplay. is not
an indicator of the oil level. Do not rely on
it. Instead, check the oil level in your en
g ine at regular intervals, preferably each
time you refuel, and always befo re going
on a long trip .
-If you have the impress ion your engine con
sumes excessive amou nts of oil, we recom
mend that yo u consult your Aud i dea le r to
have the cause of yo ur conce rn prope rly .,.
Checking and Filling
should be between the "min " and "max" mark
ings. When the engine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
<::> page 205.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System <::>
page 15 will il
luminate until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an
electric coolant level sensor, we still recommend
you check the coolant level from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
system should be inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as a re
sult of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can
get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding from
hot coolant by following these steps.
-Turn off the engine and allow itto cool down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from es caping fluid and steam by covering the cap
with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter-clockwise direction while applying
light, downward pressure on the top of the
cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts . Under certain conditions,
the ethylene glycol in engine coolant can
catch fire .
210
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding radia
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func
tion and performance of your cooling system
and could result in damage not covered by
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
<::>.& in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203 .
.. Requirement: There must be a residual amount
of coolant in the expansion tank
i:::>Q) .
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine cool down .
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank <::>
page 209, fig. 186 and carefully twist
the cap counter-clockwise
c::> &,.
.. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
<::> page 209, Coolant up to the MAX marking.
.. Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary.
.. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex
act specifications <::>
page 209, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive G12+
+, G13 or in an emergency G12+ . Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain wa
ter until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of cool
ant, then you should add cold antifreeze and cold
water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark . Excess
coolant will be forced out through the pressure
relief valve in the cap when the engine becomes
hot.
~
,&_ WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding
from hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying light, downward pressure on the top of
the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill ant i
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts. Under certa in condi
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool
ant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store anti
freeze in its original container and well out
of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be caught
and safely stored in a proper container
clearly marked "poison" .
(D Note
-Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the eng ine. If this is the case,
do not continue driving. Seek professional
assistance.
- Coolant pollutes the environment and could
cause an engine fire. Excess coolant will be
forced out through the pressure relief valve
i n the cap when the engine becomes hot .
- If, in an emergency, only water can be add ed, the correct ratio between water and an
tifreeze
¢ page 209 must be restored as
soon as possible.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Always
dispose of used coolant while observing all
environmental regulat ions.
-
Checking and Filling
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it
self .
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on and
off depending on coolant temperature and other
vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue running for up to 10 minutes -even
with the ignition off. It can even switch on again later by itself ¢&. , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises due
to the heat build-up from the engine in the en gine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because the
vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
--
- To reduce the risk of personal injury never
touch the radiator fan .
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly even
when the engine is not running .
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on auto
matically when the engine coolant reaches a
certa in temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 187 En g in e compar tment: cover on the b rake fluid
rese rvoir
Before you check anything in the engine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ & in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203 . .,.
211
Checking and Filling
"' Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
¢ fig. 187, ¢page 205, fig. 183. The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
c>page205.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 14. Do not continue to oper
ate the vehicle. The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified facility and the
cause corrected . If the brake fluid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will illumi
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi
ately.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air . If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high , cor
rosion in the brake system may result after a pe
riod of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid
will also decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years.
Always use new brake fluid which con
forms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the
brake fluid changed by your authorized
Audi
dealer.
Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
you.
212
A WARNING
-
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake failure can result from old or inappro
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci
fication
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid.
The correct type of brake fluid is also indi
cated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long .
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi
cle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as well as the special tools re
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your authorized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maintenance.
With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the electro
lyte level checked by a service facility. The elec
trolyte level should also be checked each time
the battery is charged ¢
page 214.
Have the battery checked when you take your ve
hicle in for service. You are well advised to re
place a battery that is older than S years.
Checking and Filling
-If you get battery acid in your eyes or on
your skin, immediately rinse with cold wa
ter for several minutes and get medical at
tention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek
medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
electric sparks or an open light .
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and nega-
tive cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-circuit the terminals with tools or oth
er metal objects. This would cause the bat
tery to heat up very quickly, which could lead to damage or explosion and personal
injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys
tem, disconnect the negative ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the electri
cal system, switch off the engine and igni
tion as well as any electrical equipment. The negative cable on the battery must be dis
connected. If you are just going to replace a
light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch off
the anti-theft alarm system! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis
connect the negative cable and then the
positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make sure
all electrical consumers are switched off.
Reconnect the positive cable first and then
the negative cable. Never interchange the
cables - this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out bat
tery. It could explode! If a battery has fro
zen, then it must be replaced. A discharged
battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attached
to the opening on the side of the battery.
214
- Never use batteries which are damaged .
There is the danger of an explosion! Always
replace a damaged battery.
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when
the ignition is on or when the engine is run
ning, otherwise, you will damage electronic
components in the electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a long
period of time without being driven, protect
the battery from "freezing", otherwise it
will be damaged and will then have to be re
placed .
- When opening the doors, the windows low
er approximately 10 mm automatically. This
function is not available when the battery is
disconnected, which means there is a risk
that the door seal or the window could be
damaged.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged bat tery.
Fig . 188 En g in e compartment: con nectors fo r a charger
and jump start cab les
Check ing and F illing
througho ut your vehicle ¢ page 186 . The intelli
gent energy management system wi ll keep the
engine battery charged better than veh icles with
out this system . To make sure the addit ional
electrical energy is avai lab le once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batter ies of t he same type and manu
facture on ly (the same as those insta lled at the
time your veh icle was delive red). Spec ificat ions
are listed on t he b attery housing. Your author
i z ed dealer must code the battery in the energy
management system to enable you to use the en
ergy manag ement functions correctly after re
p lacing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capac ity,
voltage (12 -vo lt), amperage, const ruction and
p lug sealing .
W hen insta lling the ba tte ry, make sure the igni
tion and all elec trical consumers are sw itched
off .
(D Note
Mak e sure the ve ntila tio n hose on t he side of
the batte ry is connecte d, othe rw ise f umes o r
battery acid can lea k out .
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of pr oper disposal of
a ba ttery, we recommen d your au thor ized
Audi dea le r change the battery fo r you. Bat
teries contain su lf u ric acid and lea d and must
always be disposed o f prope rly in comp liance
w ith all environmental regulations. D isposing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger
ous to the e nvironment.
216
Windshield washer
system
Fi g. 189 En gin e compar tm en t: was her flui d rese rvoir cap
.., N
-N ~ a, m
The w indshield washer reservoir O contains the
cleaning so lution for the windshie ld and the
headlight washer system *
9 page 205, fig. 183.
The reservoir capacity is found in 9 page 260 .
To reduce the risk of lime scale depos its on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amo unts
of calcium. Always add w indow cleaner to the wa
ter. When the outside temperatures are cold, an anti-freez ing agent shou ld be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
(D Note
-The concentration of ant i-f reez ing agent
must be adjusted to the ve hicle operat ing
conditions i n the respective cl imate . A con
cen tration t hat is too high can lead to vehi
cle damage.
- Never ad d radia tor an ti-freeze or other addi
t ives to the washer fluid .
- Do not use a glass cleaner t hat contains
paint so lvents, because th is could damage
the pain t.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve
hicle is due for service .
The service interval d isplay wo rks i n two stages:
- Inspection or oil change rem inder: after a cer-
tain distance drive n, a message appears in the
instrument cluster display each t ime t he igni
tion is switched on o r off . The remaining d is-
t ance o r time is disp layed b riefly. .,..
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
.,. After you experience a tire failure, pull the car
well away from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before you stop¢.,&..
.. All passengers should
leave the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, beh ind the
guardrail)¢ .,&. .
.,. Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehi
cle from rolling unintentionally¢ .,&..
.. Move
selector lever to position P ¢ .,&. .
.. Take the
jack out of the luggage compartment
c:>page 239.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while
chang ing a wheel if you do not follow these
safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the engine, turn the
eme rgency flashers on and use other warn
ing devices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the jack,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel be
ing changed . When one front wheel is lifted
off the ground, placing the Automatic
Transmission in P (Park) will
not prevent the
vehicle from moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the veh icle tool k it, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment
c> page 124.
(D Note
If you are changing the whee l on a steep in
cline, use a rock or similar object to b lock the
Emergency assistance
opposite wheel to prevent the vehicle from
moving.
(D Tips
- Before changing the wheel, you must acti
vate the jacking mode, so that the automat
ic controls for the Adaptive Air Suspension*
do not make it more difficu lt to lift the vehi
cle with the jack
c> page 245.
- Obey all laws .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence
described below step-by-step and in exactly thot
order .
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode* c> page 245.
2. Remove the
wheel bolt caps*. For more de
tails see also
¢ page 244, Wheels with
wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts c:> page 244.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
~page 245.
5. Raise the car with the jack c:> page 245.
6. Remove the
wheel with the flat tire and then
install the other whee l¢
page 246.
7. Tighten all whee l bolts lightly.
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten
all wheel bolts
c> page 244.
10. Replace the
wheel bolt caps*.
11. Deact ivate the vehicle jack mode* in the
MMI:
I CARI funct ion button> (C ar )* systems
contro l butto n > Servicing & checks > Air
susp.: jack mode >
Off.
The vehicle jack mode* switches off automat ical
ly at speeds above 6 mph (10 km/h) .
A WARNING
-
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and in-
formation
¢ .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page
245 and ¢ page 247.
243